Engine starter apparatus



June 28, 1949 s, R 2,474,734

ENGINE STARTER APPARATUS Filed Nov. 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l N i 1 I I s o i l i I 8 I n I i 3 N 3 l l -v I M i m 2/ 8 3 8 a Q S 8 a g F o 4% 8 H o y x u N/ 2 a v f 3 INVENTOF:

O z h \\\1\\\ \I\ Q i 3 g 35 3 I g ATTORNEY S. GILBERT ENGINE STARTER APPARATUS June 28, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1946 IN V E NTOR '5fl/77UEL E/LBEHT ATTORNEY BY- udub.

Patented June 28, 1949 ENGINE STARTER APPARATUS Samuel Gilbert,

7 Cedar Grove, N. J., Bendix Aviation Corporation, a corporation of Delaware assirnor to Teterboro, N. 1.,

Application November 2c, 1946, Serial No. mass 2 Claims. (Cl. 123-119) fI'he invention hereofrelates to engine starter apparatus, and particularly to novel elements and for the structure or Figure 1takenfrom the left thereof; and

combination thereof adapting an engine, not previously so constructed, for receiving a starter.

Among the objects of the invention are to overcome objections to ordinary hand cranking, such as difllcult crank turning, and danger of injury to the operator, and to effect these results by novel effective means.

Another object is to provide novel adapter means providing for mounting a starter relative to an engine, without appreciably altering the engine exteriorly, or within the engine, its hood, or any other part or associated structure.

Another object is to provide novel jaw means 7 for extending the position of engagement of one of the engine or starter jaws relative to the other.

Another object is to provide novel means whereby an engine, which is normally started by a hand crank, may be very quickly converted to an engine having a starter at its front or normally non-load end.

Another object, in association with the abovementioned features, is to provide means for operating the starter, which is mounted on the starter for direct mounting on the adapter with the starter, so that no appreciable alteration of the engine or associated parts is necessary to receive the operating means. Another object is to associate the features of the above given objects with torque limiting means for preventing injury to the starter from excessive load or backfire at its output or jaw end, and also from excessive force applied internally of the starter irrespective of such load.

Another object is to providestarter apparatus of the above-indicated character which is simple anddurable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

These and other objects and features of the invention are pointed out in the following description interms of the embodiment thereof which is Figure 3 is a view inside elevation ofthe struc ture of Figure 1 on the scale of Figure '2.

Referring to the drawings, anengine shaft l8 is shown as including a stub' end I2, Figure 1, of

shown in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the inventlon, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a broken topview, partially in section and partially in elevation, of a structure, in-

cluding portions of an engine, an adapter, and a itarter, embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation, on a reduced scale,

smaller diameter having 'usual means, such as a press fit pin II, which holdsa one-piece member l6 comprising a pulley I8, as for a fan belt, and an engine jaw or member. 28.

Prior to this invention, a member similar to the member. l6 had. a pulley like the pulley l8, but, instead of the Jaw 28, was provided with a usual bayonet type connector portion for-receiving one end of a hand crank. v

Adapter means 22 is, in this instance, in the form of a one-piece cast bracket including an engine mounting end portion 24 having an engine supporting lower portion 26, see Figures 2 and 3, the latter portion of which takes the place of a former engine support. The portion 24 has an upper central rear portion 28 and other partsfor the reception of studs by which the adapter 22 is secured to the engine in the place of the former support. A normally horizontal portion 32 of the adapter 22, which in this instance is in the form of a web or apron, extends forwardly from the portion 24 under. a radiator 33, indicated in Figure 3 by broken lines. The side edges of the apron 82 converge from the plate 24 to an upright portion 34 including a rounded top 36, and having a central aperture through which extends a starter .iaw member 38, and holes about the member 38 for receiving mounting bolts 48. A starter 42 comprises a housing 44 including a baiiie plate end portion 46 having a flange 48 secured to a flange 58 of a housing portion 52, as by bolts 48. The housing portion 52 is secured to a housing portion 56 having a partition 58, Figure 1, to which a cover 60 is secured, as by bolts 62. A flywheel or inertia member 64 is keyed to a shaft 66, having a pinion 68, and journaled in anti-friction bearings 10 mounted on the partition 58.' A bell'gear 12, journaled by anti-friction bearings 14 in a bearing support 16 of the partition 58 and engaging the pinion 68, has a pinion 18 engaging a rotatable internal gear 89 having a sun gear portion 82 journaled about a tubular sleeve 84, which extends through an end wall 86 of a barrel .88, and has adisc-like portion' in the barrel 88 fora purpose later pointed out.

'Planet gears 82,

engaging-the sun gear 82 and a stationary orbital gear .94 of the housing portion 52, are-journaled by trunnions 98 protruding from the barrel end justed relative to each a ring nut I32 screw anti-friction bearings 88 on wall 88. v

A bevel gear I00, splined to the sleeve 84, engages a bevel gear I02, Journaled by anti-friction bearings I04 inportions of the partition 58, which gear I02 is mounted on a shaft I08 having secured thereto, exteriorly of the housing 44, a member IIO adapted to secure a shaft II2, as by a usual hand crank bayonet type connection.

Means, such as an arm I I4, extending laterally from the starter 42 and secured thereto as by studs H8, is provided with bearing means II8 spaced from the starter for the shaft H2.

The starter operating or'hand cranking element or shaft H2 is provided with means I20, at

its outer end, for receiving a hand crank I22 or other means.

A two-part torque limiting friction disc pack I24, including the disc80, in the barrel 88, has

discs of one part splined to the barrel and to an axially stationary rotatable hollow nut- I28, respectively, and discs of the other part connected to the barrel, and through the disc 80, to the: bevel gear I00, respectively, all of the discs being adother'by springs I30 and threaded to the barrel therein.

A screw shaft I34 has long lead thread connection to the nut I28 therein, and a shoulder adapted -to engage a shoulder of the nut, after predetermined axial movement relative thereto for rotation therewith.

The elongated starter jaw member 38 comprises a screw shaft securing length or shank portion I38 at one end having a spline connection I38 to the screw shaft I34, a jaw portion or member I40 at the other end for cooperation with the engine jaw 20, and a hollow or tubular body I42 of substantial length, or of sufficient length in this instance to cross the radiator 33, or other element, between the engine and the starter.

A mesh rod I44, having portions of different diameter providing a shoulder I48 for engagement with one end of the screw shaft I34, is pivotally connected at one end to a clevis at one end of a lever I48, which is connected to a rod I41, see Figure 2, journaled in the housing portion 58 and carrying a bell crank lever I48 exteriorly of the housing. A spring II, coiled about the rod I41,

acts oppositely against the housing and the lever I88 to bias the mesh rod I44 to the left, as seen in Figure l. The mesh rod has its other end provided with a sliding seal I50 of Washer-like character normally held against a web I52 of the body M2 by a spring I54 between the web and a shoulder in the screw shaft.

Openings I56 are provided in the starter jawmember 88 to provide access to a locking nut I80 at the other end ofathe mesh rod I44, which nut axially retains the ember 38 in position.

Although the starter is not subject to oil from the engine, as in many former applications, it is sealed against the admission of moisture and other liquids by a ring seal I82 around the shank I38, which has rotative and axial-sliding contact with the seal.

In operation, with the parts shown related as they are either when the engine is running or not running, if it is not running, and it is desired to start it, the crank I22, in this instance, is attached to the means I20 and turned to rotate the shaft II2. Rotation of the shaft H2 is transmitted, through the member H0 and the shaft I08, to the bevel gear I02, the bevel gear I00, the

sleeve 84, the disc 80, the pack I24, the barrel 88, the planet gears 92, the stationary orbital and rotatable sun gears 84' and 82, respectively, the rotatable internal gear 80, the pinion 18, the bell gear I2, the pinion 88 and the shaft 88 to the flywheel 84. If the-force applied to the crank I22 and the shaft I I2 .is excessiveto a degree likely to injure the starter parts, irrespective of starting the engine, the disc 80slip's. However, if no such excessive force is applied or when it ceases, turning of the bevel gear I02 by the proper force is continued until the flywheel 84 attains a predetermined speed sufilcient to start the engine. At this point, the operator should ordinarily cease turning the crank. I22, but whether he does or not, he should, at substantially the instant the flywheel attains its engine starting speed, operate the bell crank I48 to move the mesh rod I44 against the bias of the spring I5I to the right, as

viewed in Figure 1. Such movement causes the shoulder I48 to move the screw shaft I34 and the jaw member 38 to the right through the intermediary of the spring I54, to engage the starter jaw member 38 to the engine jaw member 20,

whereupon the stored energy of the flywheel 84 comes into play to turn the jaw members.

If the engine jaw member 20 imposes excessive torque, or the engine backfires, the resultant shock is absorbed by the portion of the pack I24 to the right of the disc 30.

As soon as the engine starts, the lever I49 should be released but if it is not released quickly, the engine jaw 20 will override the starter jaw I40 against the action of the spring I54 until release of the bell crank I48, whereupon the spring I5I will return the parts to the retracted or.

initial positions shown.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangements of the parts, which will appear to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had to the appended claims for a definition of thelimits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In starter apparatus for an engine including a radiator and a shaft, said apparatus comprising a starter including a flywheel, a flywheel pinion, a rotatable internal gear having a sun gear, a bell gear engaging said pinion and having a pinion engaging said internal gear, a stationary orbital gear, a barrel, planet gears between said stationary orbital and sun gears, an axially stationary rotatable nut in said barrel, a bevel gear coaxial with said internal and orbital gears, a two-part torque limiting friction disc pack in said barrel having discs of one part splined to said ,barrel and said nut, respectively, and discs of the other part connected to said barrel and said bevel gear, respectively, a second bevel gear engaging said first bevel gear, mesh rod means, and a screw shaft having long lead thread connection to said nuttherein, the combination of a. one-piece engine-jaw member adapted for mounting on said engine shaft end, adapter means having an end portion adapted for mounting on the engine with an intermediate portion extending under the radiator and a starter ing an elongated tubular body extending from said shank end under the radiator above said intermediate adapter portion to its jaw means at the other end. for cooperation with the engine jaw member, said mesh rod means being operative for actuating said screw shaft to engage said starter jaw member to said engine jaw mem-.

engaging said internal gear, a stationary orbital gear, a barrel, planet gears between said stationary and sun gears, an axially stationary rotatablenut in said barrel, a bevel gear coaxial with said internal and orbital gears, a two-part torque limiting friction disc pack in said barrel having discs of one part splined to said barrel and said nut, respectively, and discs of the other part connected to said barrel and said bevel gear, respectively, hand crank receiving means including a second bevel gear connected to said first bevel gear, mesh rod means, and a screw shaft having long lead thread connection to said nut. the combination of an engine jaw member adapted for mounting on said engine shaft, adapter means having a portion adapted for mounting on the engine with portions extending under the radiator and a starter mounting portion at a position beyond the radiator from the engine, and a starter jaw member including a shank splined to said screw shaft and having an elongated body extending from said shank at one end under the radiator to its jaw means at the other end for cooperation with the engine jaw member, said mesh rod means being operative for actuating said screw shaft to engage said starter jaw member to said engine jaw member.

SAMUEL GILBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Lansing June 18, 1940 

